Device for causing flow of fluid



May 15, 1928.

I. H. SPENCER DEVICE FOR CAUSING FLOW OF FLUID Filed April 1924 I'NVE/V OP.

QfZ ZM ATTORNEY W AW Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. j

IRA H. SPENCER, 'OF HARTFORD,- CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO. THE SPENCER TURBINE COMPANY, WEST HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

DEVICE FOR CAUSING FLOW OF FLUID.

Application filed A ril 15", 1924. Serial uoj'ioaevo.

My invention relates more especially to that class of devices for causing flowof fluid more especially of air, which devices embody a rotor including fan blades, and an object ofmy invention, among others, is to provide a device'of this classthat shall be particularly eflicient in'operation and, that shall be simple but extremely [strong in con{ struction. t

Qne form'of device embodying my invention and in the construction and use of which theobjects herein set out, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a view in central section throughmy improved apparatus on a'plane passing through the axis of the rotor shaft.

Figure 2 is a View in side elevation of my improved apparatus, with parts broken away to show construction.

In order to produce an apparatus of the type herein illustrated and described that shallbe of minimum weight, and yet, at the same time, shall be extremely strong and durable, I have employed sheet metal almost entirely throughout the structure, which structure comprises a case or body 5 of cylindrical form as to the main part and having on one side an extension 6, which extension, however, is' not wholly of cylindrical form,

but is more or lessround and in the con struction herein shown is composed of a separate piece of metal from that 'compris ing thecase This extension is longer at the bottom that at the-top. The case and extension are composed of sheet. metal, as plate steel, each'prefer'ably of a single piece bent into tubular form with the'ends secured in any desired manner. The case may be supported in saddles 7 in a manner common to structuresof this class and the extension 6 has a pedestal 8 upon which a motor 9 of any suitable type is mounted. The caseand itsextension are provided with angle iron flanges'lO of annular form extending around said members and secured thereto in any suitable manner, and a bead ll may be formed at the edge of the extension 6, and as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings The case or cylinder 5 is closed at opposit-e'ends by means of cone shaped heads 1213 also preferably formed from plate steel, each of said heads having a central opening, which opening through the head 12 isclosed by a plate 14 in a. manner to inward to the edge of the openings above, mentioned at the center of the structure. A

shaft 16 extends from the motor 9 through the plate 14, a packing" 17 of any suitable. construction being placed about the shaft at the point where it passes through the plate 14. A fan base 18 is secured to the shaft 16 within the casing and fan blades 19 are secured to the base in any suitable manner.

Division plates 20 21, preferably round, are mounted within the casing substantially midway between the heads 12 plates also being preferably formed from sheet steel. They are smaller in diameter than the interior of the casing and having central openings, and the, plate 1 1, hereinabove mentioned, is secured to the plate 20 to close the opening through said plate and through the head 12, as hereinbefore referred to. The central opening in the plate 21 communicates with the central opening in the head 13 and a flanged ring 22 is 'secured to the head 13 and plate 21 rigidly connecting the same and in fact comprising the eye 23 to the interior of the case;

Similarly a flanged ring 24 connects the head 12 and plate 20, these flanged rings beingof a length to space the plates 2021 sufficiently to form a fan chamber 25 within which the fan is located. The fan chamber is narrowed beyond the periphery of the fan asby means of plates 2627, preferably of sheet steel. and of annular form, these plates being supported by rings 28--2930-31, thus spacing the plates from the plates 2021 and from each other to form an ex pansiou chamber 32.

The expansion chamber 32 opens into a second expansion chamber 33 having its peripheral wall formed by the case 5 and its 13, these inner wall formed by two volutes 8435 1 plates 26-27, the disposition of these volutes arrows in Figure 2-, and it is here remarked being shown more clearly by the dotted lines in Figure 2 of the drawing.

The plates 20-21 are further supported by struts 36 disposed as may be desired between said plates and the heads 12-13 and as shown in Figure 1 of the drawing} The expansion chamber 33 increases in area in the direction of flow of the air currents and from theperiphery of the case toward the center, as shown by thedotted lines through the eye 23lis forced by the fan out wardly through the ex ansion chamber32 and from thence into t e expansion chain-f ber 33, the airat those portions of the latter,

expansion chamber ofthelargestarea passing over the edges of the walls of the expansion chamber 32, and as denoted by the that the spaces between the plates 20-21 and the plates 26-27, as well as the spaces 'withinthe volutes 3%35 are dead air spaces created merely to occupy space and thus avoid solid construction with added weight. a y,

A damper 38 of'any' ordinary construction may be employed to regulate the flow of air through the dischargepa-ssage in the conduit 37. Guides 39 are located on the outer wall of theexpansion chamber 33 todirect air currents laterally from the mouth of said chamber 32 into saidrhamber 33.

y In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I have described the principles of operation of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but Idesire to have it understood that the device shown is only illustrative and that theinvention may becarried out by other means and applied to uses other than those above set out. a i

I .claim-- i y 1. A case comprising a body of cylindrical shape adapted for support at the periphery thereof and formed from sheet metal,

annular shaped heads of sheet metal separately formed from said body and closing opposite ends of the case ribs radially disposed upon and secured to said heads, plates separately formed from said body and head and spaced apart within the case to form a fan chamber, said plates being supported by said heads andspaced therefrom, and a fan rotatably mounted in said chamber.

2. A case comprising a body of cylindrical shape formed from sheet metal forsupport at the periphery thereof, heads ofconeshape closing opposite ends of the case, said headsbeing formed from sheet metal and arranged to present concaved surfaces on the outer ends of the case, plates separately formed from said body and head and spaced apart within the case to form a fan chamber, said plates being supported by said heads and spaced therefrom, and a fan rotatably mounted within said chamber.

3. A case of cylindrical form, heads clos-i ing the" ends of said case, sheet metal plates supported in spaced relation within their case to form a fan chamber, one of said plates I having a central opening, spacin members e s nd,

closing the spaces between said plates at the inner edges ofthelatter'to provide a smooth air passage therethrough,

plates of annular form supported by Tsaidj fan chamber plates on the facing surfaces of the latter to form an expansion chamber, and a fan located within said fan chamber.

4. A caseof cylindrical form,heads clos ing the ends of said case, one of said heads having an inlet opening at the centerthereof relation within the case to sheet metal plates sup orted in spaced orm a fanfchamher, one of said plates having a central opening, spacing members closing the s aces betweensa-id plates and headset the inner edges of the plates to provide a smoothllair passage therethrough, plates r of annular i form supported ,by said 1 first mentioned plates on the facing surfaces of the latter, a form an expansion chamberopenin [from the periphery of saidfan chamberan gradually increasing in crosssectional area into the outlet, means to close thetspace between F said fan chamber plates and annular" lates at the outerand inner edges ,Ofthe atter, and a "fan locatedin said fan chamber;

5/A case comprising a body, of gyliijm- LY cal shape, heads separately formedyfrom said body andclosing the ends of said'case exceptffor an inlet in the center ofone or said heads, separately formed sheet metal plates spaced apart within the case to form a fan chamber, separately formedisheet metal plates of annular form spaced apart to form an expansion chamber at' the e riphery of saidfan chamber, a White in ependently formed from sheet metalandlo i cated, between theflplates formingi thefa n chamber and the ends of the casetto comprise an expansion chamber of gradually in creasing unobstructed area towards and into the outlet thereof, and a fan located within said fan chamber; I y

6. A case comprising abody of cylindrical shape with heads separately formed from said body and closing the ends of said case, one of said heads having an inlet openin at the center thereof, separately formed s eet metal, plates spaced apart within the case to form a fan chamber, volutes independently formed from sheet metal and located between said plates and ends of the case to form a dead space between each of said plates and an end of the case, said volutes also providing an expansion chamber of gradually increasing unobstructed area to wards and into the outlet of the apparatus, said volutes also acting as supportsxfor said plates, and a fan located in the fan chamber between said plates.

7. A case of cylindrical shape formed from sheet metal, heads of sheet metal separately formed from said case-and of cone shape, plates within said case spaced apart and from said heads, flanged rings secured to said plates and said heads at the center thereof, one of said rings providing an air inlet to a fan chamber, and volutes secured to said heads and to said plates to locate and position the latter and to create dead air spaces between said plates and heads.

IRA H. SPENCER. 

